Warmth
by Crystal Rivers
Summary: Sonic gets rushed out of the house in the dead of winter to catch the bus, and freezes his quills off. And when it's cold enough to see the breath from your nose, a little warmth from the local tough guy goes a long way. High School AU. Drabble.


Here's a little drabble for ya! Not really Christmas based, but I guess you could count it as my Christmas time contribution.

This fic takes place in a massive video game high school AU, which I plan on using for other fics. Unfortunately, until I can think the bugs out of the idea, Sonic and Snake are a year apart. I did keep some cannon facts in the AU, mainly Snake being in foster care and him joining the military at 16.

I took some inspiration from my own experiences in foster care for this one. Also, since Snake's last name is not known, and when I first heard him use the name Pliskin I thought it was his real last name, I decided to use that here.

* * *

Out of all the places in life that you're forced to go, school is one of the most infamous. And in the dead of winter, as long as you get to school, no one cares if you're freezing your butt off at the bus stop. And Olgilvie Maurice "Sonic" Hedgehog knew this better than any other student of Digitown High.

Today they returned to school after Christmas break. And last week a blizzard had hit the town. Unfortunately, the snowfall didn't get high enough to extend the winter break. So kids throughout town had to attend school surrounded by mounds of snow.

Sonic trudged through snow that came just above his knees. He was bundled up like a giant marshmallow and still wasn't warm. If only his mom wouldn't have rushed him out of the house, he might have accumulated enough warmth to stand the glistening white streets.

Sonic looked up as he came to a halt at the bus stop.

At the same time Sonic stopped by the sign, David Pliskin had stopped on his left.

It always happened like this. In bad weather, Sonic would walk to the bus stop with his head down and David would come up beside him silently, with the former never knowing until they stopped.

The Blue Blur held his mouth agape as he looked up at the sophomore. He couldn't believe the human was only dressed in a red cotton sweatshirt and baggy camou joggers.

"Dave, are you crazy? It's freezing out here!"

David looked down at him with a blank face. "I'll be fine. My hair and bandana is enough." He looked back across the road.

Sonic sputtered, his 14-year-old mind going haywire. "I can barely walk and I'm still cold! And you're dressed like it's September!" Sonic had gestured wildly at the upperclassman's body, but his thick coat had removed any seriousness from it.

"You wanna know why I can take the cold?" David asked, looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"Pleease enlighten me! Mr. A-B honor roll!" The hedgehog sneered.

David lifted his shirt up, revealing a strange, grey spandex-looking suit.

Sonic's eyes widened in confusion, "what's that?"

David pulled his shirt down. "It's called a sneaking suit. Last thing I've got of my father, 'side from the bandana."

Sonic looked down, feeling stupid.

After a short, tense silence, David looked at Sonic and asked, "you still cold?"

Sonic nodded. He looked up when he heard a rustle of fabric.

David held his shirt out to him. He looked like he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You sure you want me to wear that?" Sonic lifted his hand a little, hesitating.

"Yes I'm sure. Now hurry up and put it on before the warmth leaks out."

It was kind of embarrassing to be pitied by the only sophomore considered more dark and brooding than the senior Shadow the Hedgehog; but anything was better than being cold any longer. So Sonic nodded, then took his coat off and let the sophomore help him into the sweat shirt, which seemed more like a dress on the hedgehog.

"Better?" David asked when Sonic had put his coat on over the shirt.

Sonic's face lit up. "Better."

The freshman and sophomore then waited silently for their bus. And when it came, they climbed on and took their shared seat in the back.

David received many odd looks during the day for his sneaking suit, but he didn't care. Sonic knew that the human teen would get in trouble if he went home with it showing, so he gave the shirt back on the bus ride home.

Besides that, Sonic had to tuck the shirt into his pants to keep his classmates from teasing him with lines like, "nice dress," and "you get that shirt from your boyfriend last night?"

Sadly, the school had called David's foster mother. When she asked why he'd took his shirt off, he told her the truth, but still got in trouble.

Years later, Sonic never forgot that small act of kindness David Pliskin—now the legendary Solid Snake—had shown him when they were young.


End file.
